India bowler Gurnoor Brar (AP)
India captain Shubman Gill has been vocal about preferring tall fast bowlers to make inroads during the middle-overs phase, and the skipper will be mighty pleased with how Gurnoor bent his back in both Auckland (3/44) and Wellington (4/30). For Gurnoor, New Zealand was the right opportunity to make his genetic gifts and hard work in the nets count, while silencing the critics who questioned the need for quicks over a wicket-taking spinner.
He will inject a lot of belief into the dressing room, and it is now up to the thinktank to figure out how to manage him in the build-up to the 2027 World Cup, where early-season pitches are expected to be better than the roads Gurnoor encountered at Lord’s and Guwahati earlier this year.
I was looking to bowl full earlier and then use my bouncer at right moment,” said Brar in the press conference later. They asked me to back my lengths and said khul ke ball daal (bowl freely). The double-wicket burst in the 20th over was enough to put the home team on the mat, as Gurnoor continued relentlessly without compromising pace. This was exactly what Gill wanted during that phase: to prevent the opposition from forging a partnership. He finally got the results from the bowler he had long been working on and backed through tough times. “My plan was simple – to hit my lengths and back my skills. Every day is a learning to get better, and ensure I adapt. “Backing is very important for every player. There were flat tracks in India but we were backed there too by (the) management. Shubman Gill backs everyone, doesn’t judge by performance. He himself has hunger for himself and the team,” he added. Gurnoor has answered many questions.
